The Dominican Professional Baseball League (LIDOM) will introduce the Automated Ball-Strike System (ABS) for the upcoming winter season, which begins this Friday.
Integration of Trackman Technology Across Stadiums
The implementation follows the standards established by Major League Baseball (MLB). According to Sánchez, the project relies on the interconnection of Trackman radar technology with local mobile units and stadium broadcast screens. The system is designed to provide real-time information to the audience, appearing on the main stadium displays and television feeds simultaneously whenever a challenge is initiated.
Sánchez noted that the league is currently conducting final testing to ensure the hardware and software are fully synchronized. “We are working with the support of MLB, updating the software to have the system in all stadiums, integrating them into the local mobile units and the stadium screens,” Sánchez stated. He added that the league’s technical team is familiar with these workflows, as they frequently provide support for MLB broadcast crews when they operate in the Dominican Republic.
The Challenge Model for Balls and Strikes
The ABS deployment in LIDOM will function as a challenge system rather than a complete replacement for the home plate umpire. This structure mirrors the current rules used in MLB, where the human umpire retains control of the game while players are granted a limited number of opportunities to contest specific calls.
Under the established guidelines, only the batter, the pitcher, or the catcher currently involved in a play may request a review. Managers and players in the dugout are prohibited from initiating a challenge. To request a review, a player must immediately signal the umpire by touching their cap or helmet. Each team is allotted two challenges per game; if a challenge is successful and the call is overturned, the team retains the challenge. If the team is incorrect, the challenge is lost. Extra innings provide an additional opportunity if a team has exhausted its initial allotment.
Technological Phasing and Future Capabilities
For the initial phase of the season, the league will limit the ABS functionality exclusively to the evaluation of balls and strikes at home plate. While the system is capable of more advanced data collection, the league has opted for a measured rollout to manage stadium personnel requirements.
“We cannot implement all the changes at the same time, because it would require more personnel in the stadium for these new features,” Sánchez explained.
Technical Requirements for the Opening Season
The transition to an automated system requires significant calibration of the strike zone for each individual player. The technology utilizes high-precision tracking cameras, similar to the Hawk-Eye systems used internationally, to determine with millimeter accuracy whether a pitch crossed the zone. While the current focus remains on the accuracy of the home plate umpire’s decisions, the infrastructure now in place will serve as the foundation for the league’s broader goal of integrating advanced analytics into the winter league experience.
The league confirmed that the system is ready for the tournament start this Friday, with the technical team having finalized the integration of the Trackman units into the mobile production trucks used for local broadcasts.
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